


Lone Light Surrounded By Darkness

by Cloud Feature (kloud)



Series: Mine to Live For [2]
Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, F/F, F/M, Foxy is really the only one who swears, I added in Mangle, It's a collection of drabbles, M/M, Oh, Romance, Slight horror, There Will Be Sadness, also there might be some extreme OCness., but hopefully a lot of cuteness, but she isn't a big character, but there are swear words, fair warning, it might be obvious idk, there will be some violence, with some of these characters you're really going to have to guess who is who
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-03-09 08:31:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3243077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kloud/pseuds/Cloud%20Feature
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following the first in the series is the adventures of Adriel and his robot companions as they travel together to find somewhere to live. The chapters won't be in chronological order.</p><p>On their journey, the Androids are keeping many things from Adriel. He only gets little strings of their secrets, and not all are all that light. The more secrets that Adriel learns, the more he begins to doubt his choice to travel with the Androids. Darkness is hidden within the hearts of the Androids, and Adriel isn't quite sure he wants to find out exactly what it is. Every step they take is further from all that Adriel had known, and he finds himself questioning his heart and everything he thought he knew.</p><p>This piece of work contains a ton of original ideas and thoughts that don't really strictly follow FNAF. Only the first of the series really follows the FNAF scenario.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Return to a House Once a Home

Moonlight shed a light on the old street. The area didn’t have much electric power, which meant no lampposts. All the better for them. Since Adriel’s clothes had been sodden with blood, he wore Freddy’s jacket and shorts that Foxy found—he wouldn’t tell anyone _where_ he “found” it. Each of Adriel’s hands clenched around fabric. His left clenched the top of the jacket with his arm pressed tightly against his chest, simply for security reasons; his right clenched the shorts in order to make sure they didn’t slip too far. The walk from the safe house to his house wasn’t that long, if only a little longer than Adriel’s normal walk to the old pizzeria, but every step took concentration and fatigue pushed against his efforts.

Sweat clung to his skin and his pace slowed. Only one person walked beside him: Freddy. The others hid in the shadows and followed them at a distance. None of them said it, but Adriel could see the fear written in their faces. The idea of getting caught and terminated, or trapped again, terrified all of them. Even Foxy. And Adriel’s death petrified all of them. When it came time to leave the safe house so that Adriel could go grab his clothes, he joked around saying that it might have been better for them to not have to worry about him and should have just left him.

That didn’t end well.

Freddy didn’t like leaving his side for more than five minutes. In fact, Adriel can’t remember a single moment without Freddy being right there. Again, no one mentioned it, but Adriel could tell they were being hunted. He hated that they would keep information from him and treat him as if he couldn’t handle it. At the same time, though, he was the one too tired to complain. Between his body adjusting to the fast-acting healing and his nightmares, he was exhausted.

“You’re exhausted,” Freddy’s soft voice made Adriel flicker his gaze up to him.

Every time Adriel glanced up at him, he always had two images flash in his mind. The first is Freddy’s little bear suit of his, and then second was the first time he ever saw Freddy. “Um, yeah. It’s kind of expected.” A slight blush pinched his cheeks. His nightmares hadn’t gone unnoticed. The first one he had he woke up sobbing like a freaking child and after the initial fear, he wanted to suffocate himself because of his embarrassment. His eyes dropped and he spotted his house. They were close.

“Do you want me to carry you?”

Adriel gulped and ducked his head down. His brows fell together as he grumbled, “No. Freddy. I’m okay. It’s only a little longer.” Out of all the Androids, Freddy was the worst. Not that Adriel hated him. Freddy just… pushed boundaries, treated him like a glass doll, and… and, well, cared too much.

“It really isn’t any strain on me, Adriel. I’m built to carry heavy things. By my analysis, you’re about five foot, and then you would only weigh-“

“Freddy, saying things like that doesn’t make you seem human,” Adriel murmured, remaining hunched over. It made him look shorter, but oh well.

“I-“ The android began, and then quietly muttered, “Okay…”

Guilt crashed down on Adriel and he closed his eyes for a few seconds. He almost cursed under his breath. “Four foot eleven, actually,” Adriel murmured quietly. “How much do you guess I weigh?”

“A hundred and two,” Almost annoyingly, Adriel could hear the smile in Freddy’s voice as he spoke.

“Higher.” Adriel squinted at his house. Freaking frack. He left his porch light on again.

Oh, wait. He’s not going to be paying any bills anymore.

“How much higher? Not above a hundred and twenty, I hope.”

“Yep,” Adriel felt his lips twitch slightly. One advantage of being almost a foot smaller than Freddy was that the Android couldn’t see his face. Especially when he hunched over.

“That’s impossible—you’re joking.” Freddy immediately accused.

“Nope,” he made sure that the “p” on the word popped.

“Adriel, you would be overweight. You’re not overweight.” Now Freddy sounded incredibly concerned.

The smile widened on his lips and he fought to keep it out of his voice. “I’m a chub, Freddy.”

“ _Adriel,”_ Freddy said slowly. “I’ve seen you _naked_. You’re not a ‘chub’.”

A snort left Adriel and he let go of the jacket to cover his mouth and hold in his laughter. Under his cold hand, his face heated considerably. When he had his laughter under control, he said, “For one, you bring up the most awkward things. For two-“

“You just said ‘for two-‘”

“ _For two,_ you need to get your eyes checked, buddy. Or you’re having some wild fantasies or something.”

“Adriel.” Freddy stopped, making Adriel come to a stop and look up at him with a completely nonchalant face. “I looked at you through _two_ different vis-uh, ‘eyes’ as you put it, and no. You’re not chubby.”

Finally, his mask broke and Adriel gave Freddy a grin, a small tab of laughter spilling from his lips. “Yeah, I know, Freddy. I just like to mess with you.” He turned and continued back toward his house, ignoring the shock that had filled Freddy’s face. Cheese, you would think Adriel just told him that he was actually female, the amount of shock that guy had. Ducking down his head again, he hid his blush as he arrived at his doorstep. He lifted his keys and noticed that, thankfully, the Androids had enough thought to discard the pizzeria’s set of keys. The door unlocked and he quietly pushed it open, turning back to see Freddy staring at him. “What?” Adriel frowned.

“Your smile is gorgeous,” Freddy smiled lightly at Adriel.

“Um, okay. Can we go back to my ‘for one’ example?”

“For one, Adriel,” Freddy smiled more widely as he followed Adriel inside the house. “It doesn’t hurt to compliment people. For two, why don’t you smile?”

“Okay, yeah, you just messed up more bad than I did,” Adriel rolled his eyes and walked towards the back door so he could let the rest of the robots in.

“You already broke grammar, Adriel. I just decided to go with it. And you just said ‘more bad.’”

“You broke the grammar even further than I did,” Adriel reached the back door and unlocked it. “And is ‘more bad’ _really_ that bad to say?”

“Yeah,” Foxy interrupted their playful banter, pushing open the door with a frown. “You just sound stupid.”

“Well, welcome and good to you see too-“ Adriel threw up his hands. “No. Don’t even touch what I just said. I’m going to go pack and then change into something that I don’t have to hold up. Maybe not in that order.” He ignored the laughter behind him as he hid his own smile, heading towards his room.

It didn’t take long for Freddy to follow after Adriel. At least Adriel had mostly changed before Freddy arrived at the entrance of the room. “Adriel. You’re missing a door,” he said as Adriel pulled a dark blue hoodie over his head.

“Yeah, that happens when you’re messing around with your best friend. We just never got around to actually replacing it.” A sigh left Adriel and he closed his eyes. It had been only a little while since he found out about _that—_ the pregnancy. It wasn’t “ _we”_ anymore. A hand held his cheek, making him flinch and open his eyes.

“Sorry,” Freddy murmured. Obviously not sorry enough because he reached up both hands to hold Adriel’s face. “Where is your best friend now, Adriel?”

Adriel’s mouth opened uselessly and he struggled for words until he finally pulled away from Freddy’s grasp. He managed to strangle out, “Let’s not talk about it.” To finalize the end of the conversation, he turned his back to Freddy and picked up a backpack. He shoved in some clothes and a blanket (it was thin, but the material could keep him sweating in the dead of winter). Once all of those were all packed, Adriel began carefully picking photos off the ground and placing them inside a thick envelope.

“What are those?” Freddy crouched beside him, peering at all the pictures.

“Photos of my family.” Adriel gathered the last picture and turned towards his backpack. “And before you ask, they’re all dead. Not… well, I don’t really know about my mom. She’s been missing for a while, but she’s legally dead. My dad walked out on us, but I get the feeling he wasn’t really there to begin with.” For the hundredth time, Adriel felt himself be captured by Freddy’s arms. “Ugh,” Adriel squirmed, trying to get out of his hold, but it was impossible. He eventually just accepted his fate and closed his eyes, taking in Freddy’s warmth. “When I say ‘a while,’ you stupid cuddly teddy bear, I mean twenty years. It doesn’t bother me, okay?”

A tentative smile spread Freddy’s lips. “But… you said that you were abandoned too. That no one wanted you.”

“Oh, yeah,” Adriel felt his skin almost blister under the heat of his blush. “Ugh, I forgot that too. Can you guys delete that? Along with me crying like a baby?”

Laughter fell from Freddy’s chest and he shook his head. “No. Stop trying to change subjects on me. You may think you’re avoiding questions, but I have all the ones you’ve avoided so far tallied on a list.”

“Can I bring back my ‘for one’ example,” Adriel murmured, finally escaping for Freddy’s cuddly endeavors. Tiredly, he pulled his hood over his head and pulled on his backpack.

“How is me listing your avoided questions awkward?” Freddy stood, watching Adriel with a raised brow.

“Because it is.” Adriel matched Freddy with raising a brow of his own.

“Now that’s another question avoided,” in the air, Freddy pretended to write it down.

Adriel swallowed both a laugh and barely managed to swallow a smile before rolling his eyes. “Because, _Teddy,_ it’s weird that everything I’ve ever said in front of you, and anything I ever _will_ say, you will be able to remember.” Adriel turned around in the room, thinking of all his electronics. His wrist watch had long been taken away from him—it was broken anyways—but his tablet…

“True, but think of it this way. I am incredibly helpful on grocery lists, and if there is ever an argument on what you said, I can correct that,” Freddy said helpfully.

Pressing his lips together, Adriel picked up his tablet and unlocked the screen. He brought up the different things saved on it. Most were pictures of him and his friend. There were none of his mother, and nothing entirely sentimental, but at the same time, Adriel felt the hole in his heart grow a little bigger at the idea of leaving it behind.

“You’re making the right choice by leaving it.” Freddy spoke quietly. “It… it can be traced.”

Adriel decided not to ask, “ _By who?”_ Instead, he looked up at Freddy and handed it to him. “Break it. Destroy all the data on it. Whatever.”

“Adriel…”

“No, don’t _‘Adriel’_ me, okay? I get it. Just get it over with. Rip off the flipping flipperson Band-Aid.”

Amusement twitched Freddy’s lips. “Flipping flipperson?”

“Yes.” A frown pulled Adriel’s lips and he waved the tablet in Freddy’s face. “Come on, Android. Be useful.”

“I am _incredibly_ useful.” Freddy mock pouted before taking the tablet from him. Instead of destroying it, Freddy placed his hand on top of the screen. Around his hand, the screen glitched and did so until he removed his hand. Then he handed the tablet back to Adriel.

Curious, Adriel took the tablet and looked at the screen. He unlocked it and saw the start-up screen for when first receiving a tablet. The memory had been completely wiped out. “Wow.”

“Told you I am useful. I transferred the data and I’ll hold it until we’re able to get you a new tablet.” Freddy smiled.

Adriel deadpanned. “You mean, look through my stuff and continue to do so until we will potentially never get me another tablet because it’s entirely impossible.”

“You have _quite_ the interesting search history,” Freddy smiled softly.

“’ _For one!’_ And _no_ I don’t! Alright?” A blush spread fast across his face but Adriel scowled disapprovingly. “Freddy. Stop being inappropriate.”

“No, it’s quite interesting for me, really,” the cheeky-butt robot’s smile grew. “Both women _and_ men?”

“Shut up!” Adriel barked, “You’re totally just guessing right now, because I _know_ I’ve never looked up porn on my tablet.”

“On your tablet? _Where_ then?” Laughter filled Freddy and lit his warm eyes. “You’re getting so flustered, and your heart rate is increasing too. The blood is rushing to your-“

“Stop with the vital thing, I can _feel_ the blood rushing to my face,” Adriel rolled his eyes.

“I wasn’t going to say ‘face’,” Freddy said seriously, and then began to laugh harder when he saw the pure horror on Adriel’s face. “I’m kidding! I am kidding, Adriel, no! Adriel!”

Ignoring his calls, Adriel turned and left the Android, muttering under his breath, “I _hate_ robots.” Freddy’s laughter followed him all the way into the kitchen. Chica had taken control of it, and Adriel’s stomach grew about three sizes at the smell.

“What happened?” Bonnie smiled lightly up at Adriel.

“I was deciding the best form of suicide. I at first thought I would be classy with just walking into a river, but then I thought I might as well go out with a _bang._ ” Adriel sat at the non-matching dining room set.

Foxy, who laid down in the living room, let out a snort. It wasn’t as if there really was a “living room”. The house had an open-concept layout and there was a bar that separated the kitchen and living room. Bonnie sat there, watching Chica.

Laughter wrote in Bonnie’s widening smile. “Well, perhaps. Wouldn’t it be pointless, though, to kill yourself, and us, after going through all that trouble?”

“Eh,” Adriel shrugged. “Maybe.”

Chica laughed from the kitchen, vigorously mixing something in a bowl. “’Maybe,’ he says. I’d like him to be stuck in a body that can’t feel anything! Or even hold a pot!”

“What are you cooking?” Freddy still had a freaking cheeky smile on his lips as he walked over to the table, choosing a chair across from Adriel.

“You’re banned from the table, you must sit on the ground next to Foxy,” Adriel pointed.

“The hell? Why am I the banishment place?” Foxy propped himself up to squint at him.

“Because your nickname for me is ‘idiot’,” Adriel said dryly.

Foxy snorted and rolled his eyes, but it looked as if he was struggling against a smile, “It’s more than just _idiot._ I sometimes add in ‘kid’ and ‘stupid’ too.”

“Be banished,” Adriel turned to Freddy, pointing at Foxy.

Laughing, Freddy stood and walked over to Foxy. “Seeing that adorable look on your face was worth being banished.” He plopped down dangerously close to Foxy.

“’ _For one!’”_ Adriel barked, his cheeks flaring, while all three of the other Androids asked different versions of, “What look?”

“I can’t really describe or show you,” Freddy laughed at their questions and grinned at Adriel. “How is that awk-“

“I am _not_ adorable. I’m a grown man-“

“Not really grown,” Foxy pointed out.

“Well frick frack you too, Fox.” Adriel groaned and dropped his head in his arms. “I’m done for…” He murmured, listening to their laughter. One of his own smiles curled his lips and he let out a breath. The Androids excitedly talked amongst themselves, and at some point he heard:

“Get the fuck away you cuddly ass bear!”

“You’re not as fun to cuddle with as Adriel…”

“That’s because I can _defend_ myself against you!”

With a small chuckle, Adriel found himself following his fatigue. The voices muffled and soon sweet darkness swept over him. While it wasn’t all that comfortable, at least he felt safe.


	2. A Penny For Your Thoughts

Morning light trickled in through the window, spilling onto the floor and warming the room with color. Considering that the robots made him stay up all night, Adriel thought that as soon as he hit the floor, he would be fast asleep. Instead, he stared at the wall through heavy lidded eyes with Freddy spooning him from behind. After all these nights, Adriel simply had gotten too tired to fight against Freddy’s incessant cuddling. He couldn’t fight him anyways, the stupid robot was too strong. Plus… it wasn’t as if Adriel _hated_ the cuddling.

He just wasn’t necessarily the type of person to cuddle. A long breath left Adriel and he shifted for what seemed to be the umpteenth time to try and get more comfortable. He turned and faced Freddy, glaring at the robot’s neck. Sometimes, it was so easy to forget they weren’t human. His thumb pressed into Freddy’s chin and he traced the Android’s jawline. The Android’s chest filled with air and then left him, undisturbed by the touch. Not that Adriel would openly caress Freddy if he were “awake.” About thirty or so minutes ago, Freddy murmured into Adriel’s ear that his battery was running low and that he was going to shut off for an hour or two.

The appearance of Freddy sleeping was completely manufactured by those that created Androids. It was a nice touch, considering that the first time Adriel saw Freddy, he mistook him to be dead. “Hey.”

The sudden voice caused shock to spring through Adriel. He rolled onto his back to see Foxy squatting beside him, peering down at him. Adriel felt his cheeks bloom into roses and he squinted at Foxy, “What is it?”

“If you’re done petting Freddy here,” Foxy stood. “I can take you for a little walk. You can’t sleep, right?" 

“I’m _not_ petting him,” Adriel murmured with embarrassment swelling in him. Slowly, Adriel crawled out Freddy’s hold and pushed himself up onto his feet. He let out a long yawn and looked sleepily up at Foxy. “Freddy won’t be happy.”

Amusement filled Foxy’s eyes and his lips twitched. “Chica and Bonnie won’t be, either. But they’re all shut down, snoozing. Like you should be. But since you, little squirt, can’t sleep, I’ll take you for a walk.” He turned and walked over towards the open door. The old wooden flooring creaked under Adriel’s feet as he shuffled after Foxy, blindly following the Android through the dark, abandoned building. He led Adriel up a few stairs until they reached a door. Foxy glanced back at Adriel before pushing the door open. “Are you afraid of heights?”

“Oh, sure. Add something else to my fear list. Makes me more interesting,” Adriel said through another yawn. Foxy stepped through the door and held out his hand for Adriel to take. With his brows raising, Adriel took Foxy’s hand and allowed him to lead him out onto a flat roof.

Using Adriel’s hand as a leverage, Foxy pulled Adriel to his side and led him step-by-step across the flat roof. His arm held Adriel tightly to his side. The sky held most of Adriel’s attention. Darkness from the night was receding away as the sun kissed the horizon, with splashes of blushing orange pushing back dark blue. Other old abandoned buildings scattered the horizon, looking black against the orangish light. Foxy must have found a spot he deemed safe enough because he let go of Adriel and slowly set himself down.

Adriel stayed where he was, taking in the sunrise. “I swear this world never ceases to amaze me,” Adriel murmured.

“I know,” Foxy’s hand snaked around Adriel’s wrist. Adriel only stood for a few more moments before Foxy yanked him down into his lap.

As the Android’s arms wrapped around Adriel, he squirmed and elbowed Foxy, groaning, “Ugh, Fox, usually I’m safe around you.” It wasn’t like Foxy to initiate cuddling.

Snorting, Foxy tightened his arms around Adriel. “Yeah? But you’re supposed to be sleeping, remember? Plus, I don’t want you walking off. One wrong step and you’ll go crashing through the roof.”

“That’s comforting,” Adriel murmured. Giving up, he shifted in Foxy’s lap before finding a comfortable position and then he leaned back against him. A tired breath left Adriel. “This whole nocturnal thing is going to crap.”

“I keep telling them we have to knock you out with some drugs or a bat or something, but they keep saying that we should try and make you nocturnal _naturally_.” Foxy rested his chin on Adriel’s shoulder, leaning his head against Adriel’s.

Adriel rolled his eyes. “Pfft. Who does anything natural these days?” He could feel Foxy’s cheek twitch with a smile. Fatigue fell on his eyelids, but he knew even if he tried to close his eyes and sleep, he probably wouldn’t be able to. “Does it make sense that I’m too tired to fall asleep?”

“No,” Foxy snorted. “But then again, you make very little sense when you’re tired. At least when our batteries are low, we don’t act bat shit crazy.”

Fighting his own smile, Adriel murmured, “I do not act crazy. I bet you guys act weird, too.” He leaned his head all the way back and he closed his eyes. “If you let your batteries get all the way down…”

“How are your nightmares?” Foxy spoke quietly, shifting his head to look at Adriel.

“Let’s not talk about that,” a blush filled Adriel’s cheeks and he turned his head away from Foxy. It had been well over a month since _that_ happened, and every night plagued Adriel with nightmares. At least he didn’t slow the Androids down too much anymore. While his skin still felt tight and unnatural to him, Adriel’s body had fully healed. Lifting his arms, Adriel pulled back the sleeves of his coat so that he could examine his arms. The scars on his arms weren’t nearly as bad as the ones on his face, and his chest. 

Foxy reached up to grab one of his arms so that he could trace a line of one of the scars. “Are you afraid of us?”

“No,” Adriel wished he could see Foxy’s entire face instead of just the profile view of it. Except even then it would be just an attempt to read the expression on his face. Out of all the robots, Foxy was the hardest to read.

“If we let you go,” Foxy spoke quietly. “If we found a way to hack you back into the system and give you a whole new life, with money, would you want that?”

Adriel’s brows came together and he dropped his gaze. Many starts to an answer brushed his lips, and a few times he even opened his mouth to say them, but none of them were really what Adriel wanted to say. Did he really want to restart a life, just like that? His fingers scratched behind his ear. Silence continued to hang in the air, and began to feel heavier. Finally, Adriel parted his lips and said, “I’m alive because I am with you guys.” Swallowing, Adriel continued quietly, “I couldn’t go back to a normal life if I wanted to. Not because of the scars, but… because I don’t think I would ever feel…” Safe? Happy? Useful? So many words could fit at the end of that sentence. Adriel didn’t feel satisfied with just giving up one. “All of it would feel pointless to me, and I wouldn’t know what to do with my life.”

Foxy pushed Adriel off his lap and, in one fluid motion, forced Adriel to turn around to face him. Inches away from Adriel, Foxy searched Adriel’s expression, looking between concerned and constipated. “What the hell does that mean?”

Feeling uncomfortable, Adriel looked away from Foxy and swallowed. “Well, I mean… I don’t know. I guess you guys give me purpose? Even if it’s just to follow you around. And… well, you know, I don’t want to put in the effort to find someone... to have kids. I used to want all of that, but I guess not anymore.”

“Unbelievable,” Foxy sighed and pulled back. His hand rubbed his face. “You literally can have everything we can’t, and you don’t want to do anything with it.”

Adriel pressed his lips together, unsure if he should feel offended or guilty. “Fox, I tried all of that-“

“You did?” Foxy looked up at Adriel, trying to act genuinely surprised.

Okay. Angry, he should feel angry. Foxy freaking set him up. All of the Androids have been tiptoeing around, trying to figure out what Adriel meant when he said he was “abandoned too”, but Adriel _didn’t_ want to talk about it. They were all little sneaks, trying different topics, prodding him in different ways, to understand more about him. Getting to understand each other was alright. It was fine. But the Androids didn’t even respond to any of Adriel’s questions. And Adriel _didn’t want to freaking talk about it_. “Let’s not talk about it.” Cheese, he wish he could have a really threatening and cold voice. With his luck it probably sounded pouty.

“No, you can’t stop there,” Foxy crossed his arms and frowned deeply. “Adriel, come on.”

“Foxy, you ‘come on’,” Adriel snapped, anger twisting his face. He could feel his skin pull. “Tell me something about you guys first. Answer some of my questions. How did you guys meet? How-“

“Fine,” Foxy held up a hand. “I’ll tell you something, but you have to tell me something too. Alright? You swear?" 

Taking in a breath, Adriel pressed his lips together. Was he ready to talk about it? After a few unsure seconds, Adriel said, “I’ll tell you what I can.”

Foxy cocked up an eyebrow and watched Adriel warily. Then he shrugged and leaned back on his hands, glancing up at the sky. “Androids were made for different purposes. The reason why Freddy is so fucking cuddly? Well, he was meant to be a kind of therapy bot. He was meant to be rented by people to either help them get through their depression, make their kid happier, or something like that. And before you ask, yeah, kind of like a prostitute. If someone needed a sexual partner to be happier? Yeah, he was meant to be rented. I was a work bot, geared to do all the shitty jobs humans didn't like doing. I worked on the water for a bit. I mostly made sure engines were up and running and lifted heavy things, fun stuff like that."

Adriel pursed his lips for a moment and then pondered his words for a few moments. "So that's why Freddie is always checking my vitals?"

Freddie snorted and gave a small smirk, "Well. He's... that question is for another time, kid."

"That's ominous," Adriel rolled his eyes. "So... if you were human, what would you be?" Another yawn coated Adriel's words. Cheese, he was so tired.

"That's another question for another time," Foxy raised a brow. "Your turn. It better be good because I gave you awesome info."

Adriel groaned. He laid down and rested his head on Foxy's thigh, searching the sky. What should he explain first? Taking in a breath, Adriel spoke very carefully. "I'm a hopeless romantic. At least I used to be." He played with a loose thread on Foxy's pants, not wanting to see the Android's piercing gaze. "I went to an academy to train to be a guard. Both my friend and I went..." Holy chip, he sucked at this. How would he even explain all of it? Adriel swallowed thickly and then sighed. Another problem with explaining everything was that they would treat Adriel even more like glass. He was stronger than that. “I told Freddy my mom disappeared about twenty years ago. Around that time, I had a close friend, and he was my neighbor. His family took me in.” Swallowing, Adriel clenched his hand. “I always was afraid of being a burden. I didn’t want them thinking that they had to take care of me, so I always tried my hardest to take care of myself…” He looked up at Foxy. “Is that enough?”

“What happened to your friend?” Foxy looked down at Adriel, searching his eyes.

“I guess he grew up.” Hollowness filled Adriel’s chest. What did that make him? If his friend was grown up, how about himself?

A small snort left Foxy and he leaned over to wipe Adriel’s hair out of his face and look down at his eyes. “Looks like someone needs a therapy bot.”

“Nah, just get me a prostitute and I will be good.” Adriel looked up at Foxy, fighting a smile. He surprised a laugh out of Foxy which ended up with the robot leaning back and using his hand to cover his mouth. 

“Okay,” Foxy looked down at Adriel, still hiding his smile behind a hand.

Out of all the robots, Foxy seemed the most… human. Adriel didn’t know exactly what it was, but there was something about Foxy. Almost as if he had more human experience. As if he had really _lived_. “You’ll pay for the prostitute for me, right?” Adriel murmured.

“What? No.” Rolling his eyes, Foxy took away his hand, his face still holding amusement but the smile was long gone. “Pay for your own penis-”

“ _Foxy!_ ” Adriel cried, covering his face with his hands. He let out a laugh and peeked up at the Android through his fingers. “You’re so vulgar. Why would I be paying for my own?”

“Well, not your own, stupid. As in... another. Another dick. You and I both know you’re chasing that Teddy ass,” Foxy gave Adriel a superior smirk.

Adriel nearly felt himself die right then and there, again. “No!” He sat up and shoved Foxy, and then gave Foxy a serious frown. “No, Foxy. I’m not. I’m serious. He’s… like a… a good friend. A brother. Like you.”

“Mmhm,” Foxy smiled and wrapped his arms around Adriel, pulling him down with him as he laid on his back. “Of course.”

“Ugh, Androids and their cuddliness,” Adriel murmured, trying to pull away.

“It helps your endorphins,” Foxy replied with a slight mumble, his eyes closing. “Makes you happier.”

A blush filled Adriel’s cheeks and covered his face with his arm. “Ugh.”

“You get embarrassed over the weirdest things, kid,” Foxy peeked at him. “Are you tired yet?”

“I’ve been tired, Fox,” Adriel wished he could really hurt Foxy. Not as in _really_ hurt him, but punch him or something for being such a... poo-head.

"Feeling those endorphins kick in yet?" Foxy reached up and tousled Adriel's hair.

Adriel pulled away his arm to glare at Foxy. "No. But I am feeling my murderous rage grow."

Another smile lifted Foxy's lips and he shook his head. "Kid, just get some rest."

A sigh left Adriel and he turned so that his back was to Foxy. He closed his eyes and tried to relax his body, working on each muscle at a time. Finally, he found himself in darkness. His body felt as if it was floating on nothingness, but at the same time, he still felt Foxy's arms around him. He felt as if sleep was just out of his grasp, not yet ready to give in and allow Adriel to fall in its grasp. Cracking his eyes open, Adriel sighed and glared at anything in front of him. Another mocking yawn parted his lips and he moved to look up at Foxy. "Foxy?"

"Mm.. what is it, kid?" Foxy had his eyes closed.

Biting his lip, Adriel murmured, "How come... how come Freddy can't stand being away from me? He's like a dog with separation anxiety."

"Heh," Foxy rolled on his side and looked down at Adriel. "We're all afraid to leave you alone." 

"But..." A sigh left Adriel and he frowned. "Freddy is always there. When I took a long bath that one time, he nearly broke down the door."

Foxy lightly shook his head. "Is it a crime to be worried?"

"Yes," Adriel growled, "especially when you treat me like a glass doll."

Raising his brows, Foxy said, "Well, yeah. Compared to us? You're incredibly breakable."

Pushing himself up onto his knees, Adriel shook his head. "No, Foxy. We have to set this straight. I am a _trained_ guard. I know how to fight, and how to shoot a gun. I may be small, but I can incapacitate someone if needed."

"No," Foxy propped himself up onto his elbow. "You might be able to defend yourself against a human, but not likely. You don't carry a gun. There are so many factors that might kill you-"

"No!" Adriel shook his head. "Ugh! Fudging--no. No. I'm done. Bring me back to the others."

Settling back down, Foxy closed his eyes. "No." He used his arms as a pillow. "Settle down and try to sleep. Remember, unstable roof?" The stupid Android thought he had Adriel trapped.

Ignoring Foxy, Adriel looked at the roof, trying to search for what might be more stable areas. They actually weren't too far from the door... could he make it?

"You could fall right through," Foxy glanced up at Adriel. "So, lay back down. Gain some more endorphins." 

Adriel rose to his feet and took three steps back. With two large steps, Adriel used the momentum to launch himself across the distance between Foxy and the door. He landed a few paces too short, but he hopped lightly till he was at the door. At the safety of the door, Adriel turned to see a satisfying look of dumbfoundment on Foxy’s face. "Not fragile." Adriel smirked triumphantly at Foxy.

Foxy got rid of the shock on his face and then he rolled his eyes and said, "Stupid kid."

With a smug look, Adriel made his way back, all  by himself.

 


	3. A Machine That Bleeds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to figure out a way so that you guys can tell when the chapter takes place. I know it's going to be confusing....
> 
> Maybe it's best to just go into this knowing that no chapter will ever (I think) follow in chronological order, but hopefully by the end of this, all loose ends will be tied

Sunlight danced on the surface of the lazy river. The water rippled around Adriel’s bare waist, and while his body at first shriveled at the idea of getting into the cold water, the cool water felt refreshing versus the warm weather. He sunk down with a long breath, and then allowed himself to float with the river’s slow pace. If his clothes weren’t on the shore, and if Freddy weren’t asking every five freaking seconds if Adriel was alright, Adriel would just let himself float. Bolts, it felt so good to be clean. His feet hit the pebbled bottom of the river and he walked against the current, tracing his fingers on the surface of the water. When he told the Androids he was going to take a bath, none of them argued. None of them felt like it, especially after last night. And even if Freddy was extremely angry with him, Freddy couldn’t stand just leaving Adriel on his own. Especially in a river. How _scary_! Adriel might drown!

A sigh left Adriel and he shook his head. No, he shouldn’t joke about drowning. It could actually happen, but still. Every five seconds:

“Adriel?”

“Just swimming, T-” Adriel quickly swallowed the name and stumbled along with his words, “That’s alright, right? To enjoy my life and swim?” His eyes flickered to Freddy’s back, and he could see the Android’s body tense.

Adriel rolled his eyes. Cheese. He was acting like a teenager being grounded by his parents, but that’s what life was now. They’re always on the move. _Always_. None of them told Adriel a thing. Who were they running from? _Why_?

Well, “why” was probably obvious. The four of them were Androids, and they had finally been allowed their freedom after so many years. It’s been… what? A year? A long breath left Adriel and he sunk down into the water, his nose just above the surface. A year. Even if they have healed quite a bit, his scars marked him as an outcast in human society. Whenever they were near a city, or a town, Adriel had to put on makeup or a mask. If not, then they risked drawing attention.

“So, you’re done washing up?” Freddy’s voice was soft, a lot different than the tense anger he had held moments before.

The same tense anger he had held all night, all the way into the morning. Adriel felt a phantom heartbeat in his chest and swallowed thickly. Guilt began to crawl onto him. “Yeah. I just want to swim for a few more moments, okay?” _No._  Adriel thought stubbornly. He _couldn't_ feel guilty. He was right. The Androids were the ones who were in the wrong.

Even after a year of being with Adriel, they treated him as if he were a fragile puppet. Adriel _hated_  it. He was so much more than something they had to take care of. The sound of a splash jerked Adriel out of his thoughts. Straightening up, Adriel turned to see what it was. Freddy stood at the edge of the river, making his way into it. Naked. “Holy-” Adriel’s entire face turned crimson. “ _Freddy!_ ” He barked and turned his head, covering his face with his hand. His heartbeat skyrocketed and his wide eyes bore into the surface of the river, trying to burn the image out of his head. “Freddy, what the freak? Are a few wires in your head coming lose?”

Freddy’s warm arms wrapped around Adriel and he forgot how to breath. Freddy had to lean down to push his face into Adriel’s wet hair, and he murmured, “I decided to join you. Your heart rate is very fast, Adriel.”

Yeah? Adriel couldn’t summon any words. He locked his body in the position it was in, his right arm raised to cover his face, and his other arm locked to his chest. Holy cheese. “Freddy-” Adriel struggled out, trying not to look at him. “Freddy, I’m _naked_.” Through the surface of that water, Adriel could see the blobbed forms of their legs.

“That’s funny,” Freddy murmured softly into Adriel’s hair. “I am too. Seeing as it is very reasonable to leave one’s clothes on the riverbank before hopping into the river. That way, no one has to worry about chafing. Adriel.. look at me.”

“Freddy,” could his voice get any higher? Adriel felt as if he was squeaky adolescent again. “Freddy, no. You don’t understand, I am _naked_ , and you’re _naked_ , and frankly, I would rather be naked by myself.”

A small laugh Freddy and he pulled Adriel closer.

Adriel felt his heart give a frightened leap into his throat, “I can _feel_ your Android junk-” He hissed.

“Is this anxiety from you being human, or a virgin?” Humor filled Freddy’s voice. “I think it’s your virginity. Or maybe it’s just you. Adriel, it’s really hard to hug you when you’re perpendicular to me.”

“Please don’t say ‘hard’,” Adriel squeaked, and then he shook his head, glancing up to narrow his gaze at Freddy. Laughter filled every corner of Freddy’s face, and… as much as Adriel liked to see that, he hated the situation. “Freddy. Get out of the water. I’ll get dressed, and we can cuddle all you want.”

Freddy’s face brightened at the idea,  but then his smile curved mischievously. “But isn’t it more fun to cuddle naked?”

If only Adriel could punch him. “ _No_ ,” Adriel said through his teeth. “Get your non-virgin butt away from my saint body.” Laughter burst through Freddy and he grinned widely at Adriel. Stupid, stubborn robot. Freddy wasn’t going to move away, was he? With a groan, Adriel hid his face in his hands. After a few moments, Adriel looked up at Freddy. “So you’re not a virgin?”

After a second’s hesitation, Freddy shook his head. “No. None of us are. At least, unless they changed protocols. After we’re manufactured, we’re tested to make sure all our systems work correctly. Not that we really had a concept of ‘virginity’.” When Freddy’s eyes fell back on Adriel, his brows raised in slight surprise. “What’s with the look?”

“That’s-” Adriel felt his body fill with anger for all of them, and then he shook his head. There was nothing to do about it. “How many times, though? How many times were your systems ‘checked’?”

The smile on Freddy’s face caught Adriel off guard. It was as if he was happy Adriel was interested. Or jealous. “We were checked once, but if you’re asking how many times I’ve had sex, that’s multiple. I was one of the first few Androids to be made, though Foxy is the oldest out of all of us--that’s another story. I first was bought by a family to help her son, to be a friend and someone to talk to. After my services were no longer required, I was sold and bought by a woman who then rented me out for services of the like.”

Adriel tried to swallow, but his throat was too dry. “So.. you were a slave?”

Confusion filled Freddy’s eyes, “A slave? Well--I suppose. But I’m just a machine-”

“No!” Anger shook Adriel and he narrowed his gaze up at Freddy, breaking away from his hold. “No, you’re _not_  just a machine, Freddy. You may not be human, but you’re more than that. You’re a _person_. They never had any right to treat you like that!” His voice rose and he found his breath leaving him in quick, angry bursts. After raving for a few more moments, spouting nonsense into the air, he probably said some poorly remembered facts of the old nation’s famous Civil War, Adriel came to a stop and turned to Freddy. The air in Adriel’s throat cut off and Adriel gaped, “Teddy, Teddy, what is it?”

A small, soft smile still filled Freddy’s face, but his hands were around his face, wiping away a few tears. Quietly, Freddy said, “I’m just really happy, Adriel.” He walked over to him and he trapped Adriel in his arms, squeezing him close. Freddy leaned down and pushed his face into Adriel’s hair again, and quietly he whispered, “I’m happy you see me that way.”

Despite having Freddy’s midsection crushed into his torso, Adriel wrapped his arms around Freddy and gently patted his back. A sigh left him and Adriel frowned. “I.. I just, I guess..”

Ugh. He couldn’t find the words. Freddy’s voice held a smile and he quietly said, “You don’t have to worry, though, Adriel. It was what I was made for. And it wasn’t unpleasant for me. Sometimes, it was, but overall, no. I don’t hate how my life began.”

Adriel gave Freddy a few more solid seconds of hugging before he began to push against the Android. “Okay, Freddy. I’m ready to get out now, alright?”

“First, I want to talk about last night,” Freddy said, pulling away enough to look Adriel in the eyes. “While I have you here.”

Guilt immediately filled Adriel’s chest, but he kept his face as hard as stone. “Freddy. I mean what I said last night, and I know it made all of you uncomfortable and angry, but it’s true and you’re going to have to accept it. I know I am fragile in your eyes, but I am strong. I have a life I want to live and-”

“Quiet,” Freddy pressed his finger to Adriel’s lips and smiled softly. “You’re going to make me mad again. Let me get my word in, alright?” Irritation filled Adriel’s face and he made sure that Freddy could tell. The Android’s lips widened. “We’re spending all this time to make you safe, Adriel. I know we’re unfair to you, and I know we push you, but…” Sadness filled Freddy’s eyes. “We all… we need you to breathe for us, Adriel. I’m sure you know that, I’m sure you know how much we need you.”

A blush filled Adriel’s cheeks and he turned his head away, feeling an echo of his heartbeat. His skin prickled with from the intensity of Freddy’s eyes, and he wished he could escape it. With a deep breath, Adriel said, “I know… I know. Chica told me before… but…” His eyes searched the surface of the water. “I know I’m really short, and I look really young, but I’m not a child anymore. You guys… you guys don’t have to treat me like that.” He looked up to meet Freddy’s eyes. “You understand that, right? I’m a full grown man. I’m not a child.”

Freddy’s lips twitched and he leaned down to whisper in Adriel’s ear, “Trust me,” he said quietly, his breath sending goosebumps across Adriel’s skin. “I don’t see you as a child, Adriel.”

What did _that_ mean? Adriel stepped away from Freddy, flustered. “Ah--well--” He stuttered, “Good, then. Good.” He swallowed an awkward lump in his throat, and when his eyes flickered back towards Freddy, he couldn’t help but think of that night in the Lights district…

Their closeness, his heart beating fast and heavily, Freddy’s hands either raking through his hair or pulling him closer...

Shaking his head, Adriel cleared his throat and tried to bring back his brain. “Anyways, Freddy.” Adriel said more pointedly, “That’s why I’m worried. You guys have to understand that I am human, and I am growing. I’ll grow, I’ll get old, and I’ll die. You guys can put me in a plastic bubble and hide me away from everything and everyone, but it won’t stop me from aging.” Adriel shrugged and glanced away. “That’s what I meant… last night… when I said I was going to die someday. Because I will. It’s inevitable-”

Freddy grabbed Adriel, and then hoisted him up. A startled yelp left Adriel. The Android forced Adriel’s legs to wrap around his waist, and he started to walk out of the water. “ _Freddy!"_ Adriel screeched, his heart leaping around in his throat.

Laughter left Freddy as Adriel scrambled to hold on, wrapping his arms around Freddy’s neck. “Stop talking about it, Adriel. Alright? That someday will happen, but it’s not today. This is punishment for being so depressing.”

“ _Freddy!_ ” Anger shot through Adriel and he hissed; he was almost tempted to try gauging the Android’s eyes out. “I swear I will--I--” He growled, and that only caused Freddy to laugh even more.

“Well, shit.”

Adriel nearly died right there. His heart stopped, and he glanced over to see the three other Androids, all of them holding some level of amusement. Foxy had been the first to speak up.

“Are we interrupting something?” Bonnie offered, a smile wrapping his lips.

An embarrassed giggle came from Chica. “We heard Adriel scream and thought-”

“A snake bit his dick or something,” Foxy cut in. “I didn’t expect the snake to be Freddy, though. Well, I guess I did-”

“Turn around!” Adriel finally managed, pushing all his strength into those words. “ _Turn around!_ Right now!” The three Androids did, still holding in laughter. Adriel shot Freddy a look that would kill a regular human being. Maybe. Adriel could certainly do to kill something at the moment. “And _you_ ,” he said with so much anger that he snarled. “Close your eyes.”

With a chuckle, Freddy closed his eyes. “Why are you so angry, Adriel?”

“You’re so dead,” Adriel hissed, “You’re so freaking dead. Let me down.” Gently, Freddy helped Adriel get down, his eyes closed with a smile wide on his lips. Freddy’s hands traced up Adriel’s bare sides. Probably to make sure Adriel wouldn’t fall. Probably. The tense air shattered when Chica let out a burst of laughter, and soon all the Androids fell right in.

Adriel felt his entire body scorch with humiliation. He stomped his way back towards a towel and his clothes, and when he reached them, he haphazardly dried himself before pulling his clothes on. “I _hate_  Androids!” Adriel barked.

“Addy,” Chica said, laughing behind a hand. “Addy, I’m not laughing at you, it’s just… we were so scared! We were all so frightened, and we ran here, and-”

“I saw more of you and Freddy than what I’ve ever wanted to see,” Foxy cut in. “But you guys have to admit, the kid’s ass is cute.”

Bonnie snorted, and then all the Androids lost it again. Angry, Adriel grabbed a small rock and chucked it. It hit Foxy square in the back of the head.

“Oh, you’re asking for it,” Foxy turned towards Adriel, his face masked with mock anger.

Chica leaned against Bonnie, hiding her face in his chest as the two used each other as support to laugh. “Foxy, _no!_  You deserved that!” Adriel stuttered, and he pulled his shirt on over his head. Behind Foxy, he saw Freddy laughing as he pulled on his own clothes. "You so deserved that,” Adriel insisted, feeling dread fall upon him.

"Don't you know better than to throw rocks at robot heads?" Foxy grabbed Adriel before he could attempt to run away.

"Foxy, no!" Adriel yelped as Foxy threw him over his shoulder. Adriel hung uselessly and then growled, "You deserved that! And you know it!"

"Maybe," Foxy looked over at Freddy, "Hey! You got the rest of the kid’s things, right?" Foxy patted Adriel's behind, and Adriel squirmed, slamming his fists onto the stupid Android’s back.

“Ugh! Let me down!” Adriel squirmed. “I’m not a kid--freaking Foxy!”

“Eh? You’re my kid. And I’ll punish you whenever I want.”

“I got it, Fox,” Freddy came over with a smirk, and then drummed a beat on Adriel’s behind, which Adriel responded by slamming his bare foot into Freddy’s chest. Laughing, Freddy walked around Foxy so he could grab Adriel’s face and push their faces close together, their noses flattening. “Do you forgive me?”

“ _Never,_ ” Adriel hissed vehemently. Freddy responded with a kiss to his nose.

“Come on,” Chica called, laughter still in her voice. “I made Adriel lunch!”

Adriel groaned as Foxy walked after Chica and Bonnie. He watched Freddy gather the rest of his things. A smile played on Freddy’s lips, and he seemed a lot less tense. All the Androids did. The anger from last night was dispelled by all their laughter. Adriel supposed that now everything would be alright between them. Hopefully..

Now shrinking the further away they went, Freddy straightened up and stared off into the distance. Adriel squinted his eyes to try and make out the look on his face, and he suddenly felt his chest fill with ice. The look on Freddy’s face didn’t look like any look Adriel was used to.

It was terrifying.

Even if Foxy carried him, Adriel couldn’t help but feel alone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> Anyone have any suggestions on who they want to end up with who?


	4. Time to Take a Breather

Light blinded Adriel when his eyes sprung open. Panic clawed at his chest—no, that was his own nails. Air tried to fill his lungs, but no matter how much air squeezed inside his chest, it felt as if he hadn’t breathed at all. A panicked cry shot from his lips, and he turned on his side to get away from the terror. The room spun around him and he felt blind. Hands started to snake around him. “No-“ Adriel choked, dragging himself away, “ _No!_  Please!” His fingers curled and his nails dug into the wood. He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, staring, yet unseeing, at the floor beneath him.

Adriel pressed his left arm hard against his chest, while hysteria worked its colds fingers into his lungs and cut off any chance to actually breathe. The terrifying, quick pace of his heart started to hurt. Tears pricked Adriel’s eyes and he let out a cry to the floorboards. A sob cut through him.

“Adriel…” the calmness of the voice was artificial. Adriel could hear the worry like troubled water underneath a calm sky. “Adriel, it’s okay. Everything is alright. You’re safe. No one is going to hurt you.”

No matter what the voice said, none of it settled in Adriel’s brain. He was still half in his dream, with a golden face staring down at him as he dragged Adriel by his hair. The animatronic suit. The pain…

“Adriel… it’s not real. It’s not real. You’re safe right now. No one is here to hurt you.”

Hot streams of tears carved Adriel’s cheeks, and his jaw clenched tightly. His chest shook with a sob. That’s right. It wasn’t real. None of it was real. Just a dream… a dream…

Swallowing air, Adriel laid down flat on the ground and let out a long breath.

“That’s right, Adriel.” The voice seemed less worried now, yet still even and soothing. “Deep breaths… really deep and long breaths.”

It was Freddy. Of course it was Freddy. Who else could sustain such a warm voice? Adriel kept his eyes closed. If he looked at Freddy, he wouldn’t see him. He would see a golden version of him. Lips left apart, Adriel took in slow breaths and focused on the way his chest expanded with air filling his lungs. The ache in his chest receded, and his heart began to beat at a more even pace. Finally, Adriel cracked open his eyes and blinked to clear his vision. About a foot away, Freddy laid on the ground beside Adriel, watching him in naked concern.

They stared at another, and Freddy hesitated a moment before saying, “Can… can I hold you now?” His hand, unsure, lightly reached out and gently worked to clear off the tears from Adriel’s cheeks. “It was a nightmare again, right?”

The need to cry filled Adriel’s throat. He held his breath to hold it back and slid his eyes shut. His head moved a fraction of an inch in a nod. Freddy took it as an answer to both of his questions, and pulled Adriel closer to him. Soft lips pressed a kiss to Adriel’s nose, while a hand gently began to rub circles into his back. Tears built up behind Adriel’s eyes and he kept his eyes squeezed shut.

Quietly, Freddy asked, “Do you have any favorite songs, Adriel?”

As if Adriel could answer him. Shaking his head, Adriel tried to focus on that fact that he was safe. His dream wasn’t real. Not anymore. It happened, but he lived. That Android was dead. He was safe, and with Freddy.

A complete stranger. What a peculiar thing to comfort him. It had only been a week since he left what was once his home, and he had been accompanied by four strangers. Four strangers who acted as if they knew him, and acted as if they had been with him all his life. Even now Freddy began murmuring a song to him, and he only recognized it by the lyrics because the tune was so completely off. Freddy’s lips brushed his forehead. The Androids seemed to know a lot about Adriel. All that Adriel really knew was that they weren’t perfect. And he found that out a few seconds ago, when Freddy started something that Adriel could only guess was singing. A small smile lifted his lips, and it encouraged him enough to open his eyes. “Freddy, you’re a terrible singer.”

The song (at least that's what Adriel guessed that it was a song) came to a stop, and a small bit of laughter filled Freddy’s mouth. With a small breath, Freddy asked, “Would you like me to download singing lessons? I could search-“

“No,” Adriel murmured and shook his head, still wearing a small smile. “No. I don’t think any amount of practice will help you, but… thank you. I liked the song…”

Freddy’s big, brown eyes warmed and his lips stretched. The two watched each other until Adriel got uncomfortable, which was pretty fast. Freddy’s stare always made Adriel uncomfortable. At Internet Explorer’s pace, Adriel pushed himself up off the ground and then sat with his arms loosely wrapped around his legs. Across the small room, all the Androids appeared to be restful and lazy. Chica had her head in Bonnie’s lap, and Bonnie’s fingers created braids in her hair. At their feet, Foxy lay on his back with his hands knotted underneath his head. And all their eyes were on him. A blush tinged Adriel’s cheeks, and his eyes fell to the ground.

All of them fretted over him, and always kept careful watch on him. Adriel reached up to scratch the scars on his face, but then remembered Chica scorned him last time he had. Instead, he jammed his fingers into his thick hair and wondered how much of a mess it was this morning. For practically all his life, Adriel took care of himself. Sure, he had his mom until he was six, and then his best friend, sometimes, after that. But that was one person at a time. Not four strangers who often didn’t get the concept of personal space or privacy. “I-I’m fine,” Adriel murmured, and it was more of a habit than anything to say it. His eyes were glued to the floor.

Beside him, Freddy pushed himself up and then put a warm hand on Adriel’s back. “What was it about? Your nightmare?”

“Ugh…” Adriel groaned, slumping forward. He slid his hands over his face, the scars jagged and rough under his palms. “It’s the same as the others, okay? There’s your animatronics, a-and then… that guy. And then… badness. Just badness.” Great description there, trooper. Adriel’s eyes narrowed and he glanced over at Freddy.

The concern on the Android’s face embarrassed Adriel. “I thought so…” Freddy almost looked pitiful with that sorrow and concern on his features. His arms reached out and wrapped around Adriel, pulling him to his chest. With legs resting on either side of Adriel, Freddy rubbed his cheek against the mess of hair on Adriel’s head.

Instead of fighting or elbowing Freddy, Adriel allowed himself to slowly melt in Freddy’s warm embrace. Now that the panic attack was done and over with, Adriel could feel the fatigue pulling on his limbs and weighing on his eyelids. “What time is it?”

“About ten in the morning,” Freddy murmured gently.

“Cheese,” Adriel groaned and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands. “I’m still exhausted.”

A smile lifted Freddy’s voice. “You’ve only slept five hours. We’re pushing you, and you’re not used to traveling. Not to mention your body is still in recovery.” Freddy began rubbing Adriel’s shoulder. Moments before, it might have been comforting, but now that Adriel was more or less awake and not petrified, it just felt awkward. Swallowing thickly, Adriel broke away from Freddy’s hold and then looked back at him. He hesitated and then bit his lower lip. “What is it?” Freddy asked quietly with his warm brown eyes searching Adriel’s face.

Heat rose to Adriel’s cheeks and he bit his lower lip. “W-Well… I was…” After a pause, Adriel tried to think of a nice way to tell Freddy to back the freak off. “Freddy… um…” A long breath left his lungs. “Maybe… um… well, I’m not used to… this.”

“This?” An eyebrow quirked on Freddy’s face. “Can you be more specific?”

“Holy circuits,” Foxy groaned. “Freddy, you stupid-fuck.” His eyes bore into the two of them. “The kid wants to breathe for a bit. Stop molesting him, would ye?” A small laugh shot from Chica.

Freddy gave a heartbreaking pout. “I’m not molesting him…”

“Yeah?” Foxy narrowed is gaze on Freddy. “For a guy that was made to comfort people, you’re so incredibly dense when it comes to them.”

“Foxy, stop being so rude. Does your programming allow that? Not everyone is dropped off on the docks and then goes on to have deep human relations.” Bonnie said sharply.

Foxy’s head snapped to look over at Bonnie, anger lighting his eyes. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you to be respectful to your seniors, _Bunny_?”

“Ah, bringing up the age thing again, are we?” Bonnie said, his eyes cold and his voice bored. “I find it a bit funny that even if you’re older than me, there’s no possible way you could attain as much information as-“

“Guys,” Chica did her whisper-yet-speak-loudly-thing, “Stop fighting? Adriel’s right there, and he should be trying to get some sleep.”

“No,” Adriel shook his head, and then slowly pushed himself onto his feet. His body ached and groaned in response. Managing to stay on his feet, Adriel reached up and tried to somewhat fix the mop on his head. “I am tired, but I think I need to catch some fresh air before trying to sleep again.”

Almost immediately, Freddy was on his feet, and the other Androids were scrambling to their own feet.

Except Foxy. The lazy butt stayed where he was. “Hey, hey,” Adriel held up his hands. “Pause. I said _I_  need to catch some breath air. I don’t remember mentioning any of you.”

“There’s no way you’re going on your own, kid,” Foxy murmured, his eyes closing. “I mean, Freddy might tear up just thinking about it. Chica’s circuits might go on the frits, and shit. Can’t even think of what Bunny might do.”

“It’s _Bonnie_ ,” Bonnie sighed tiredly.

“That’s what I’m saying. Bunny.”

“Look, guys, I just-“ A frustrated breath left Adriel. “I just want to take a short walk. Five minutes, tops. I’m not going to run away, if that’s what you’re afraid of-“

Chica interrupted softly, “Adriel, it’s not that we’re…” Her eyes lowered to her fingers. She pressed her two pointer fingers together and held a gentle smile. “We… we’re worried that something might happen to you.”

Adriel opened his mouth to respond, but Foxy cut in and said, “Look, Ad. Don’t fight this. Piss and moan later.”

“Says _you_ ,” Adriel barked. “You’re _constantly_  fighting with Bu-“ Whoops, Adriel stumbled on his words and quickly amended, “B-Bonnie!”

Now Foxy propped himself up, giving Adriel a glare. “I have my reasons. Bunny has his reasons. Albeit stupid ones, probably. Now put on a cute little smile and have one of these three give you a nice little walk, alright?”

Anger choked Adriel and his fingers curled into fists. His cheeks heated to a bright red. “Adriel,” Bonnie stepped forward and gave him a small and polite smile. “Do you mind if I join you on your walk?”

“That sounds great!” Chica chirped, desperately trying to dissolve the anger in the air with one of her bright smiles. “Bonnie and Adriel can take a walk, and I will find something for Adriel to eat! And Freddy… Freddy will… um…”

“Freddy can stand there and look pretty,” Foxy murmured, his eyes closing. “Or help Chica.”

Freddy said something about recharging with a yawn, and someone responded, but really, Adriel was too angry to listen. His body creaked when he walked over and leaned down to grab his jacket. Anger boiled beneath his skin when he creaked out of the small room and down the hallway. Bonnie was almost immediately on his heels. Breathing heavily through his nose, Adriel made his way through the small hallways of the safe house. When he came to the stairs, Adriel had to slow down and carefully take one step at a time, his skin pulling and his bones grinding during his progress. Adriel couldn’t hear Bonnie behind him, but no freaking doubt he was still there. Stupid Androids. Freaking Foxy…

Maybe he was just acting on one of his angry fits again.

Yeah, he probably was.

A sigh left Adriel when he hit the last step. He kept his pace slow when he headed out of the front door and stepped outside. Clean air filled his lungs and he turned to see Bonnie exiting behind him, whose eyes watched him carefully. “I’m an adult,” Adriel said, almost with a pout.

“Yes,” Bonnie nodded, a small smile pressing his lips. “You certainly are.”

Anger caused a headache to pinch the left side of his brain. Adriel scoffed, “Why does that sound patronizing?”

“I-“ Bonnie paused and then gave a sheepish look. “I didn’t mean for it to, Adriel, really. I am sorry…”

“Yeah, sure,” a blush darted across Adriel’s cheeks, and he turned to head down the cracked sidewalk. He flipped up his hood and jammed his fingers into his pockets. Surprisingly enough, Bonnie didn’t pick up his pace to walk beside Adriel. Instead, he stayed behind. The morning light splashed onto the faded buildings, and small splotches of green budded through the cracks of the sidewalk. His headache eased, and he found his anger had gone and left him tired. “Hey, Bonnie? Don’t you think it’s beautiful? And maybe even ironic?”

“Hm?” Bonnie picked up his pace to walk next to Adriel.

“The plants,” Adriel motioned with a hand towards the vegetation growing on the side of an abandoned shop. At some point, when it was first built, the thing must have been a bakery. Or a coffee shop. If only they had more things like it. Well, ones that weren't abandoned. “Humans took over the earth and nearly killed it. And now nature is taking it back.”

“Hmm… I suppose,” Bonnie mused. “Where would you put us in this little ironic theory of yours?”

“Us?” Adriel looked over at Bonnie, confused. “Um… well, I guess we’re living in the era where nature finally takes everything back-“

“No,” the shock on Bonnie’s face faded almost immediately, and the smile he held after was incredibly warm. “I meant us as in Freddy, Chica, Foxy and I.”

 _Oh_. A blush burned onto Adriel’s cheeks and he let his eyes fall to the cracked sidewalk. “I guess you’re living in the era, too.”

Bonnie peered down at Adriel and then lightly said, “Adriel… I know it’s frustrating, with us coddling you, but…” His voice lowered, “Think of it this way. We’re in enemy territory, so we need to be cautious. None of us should go alone.”

“Foxy goes on his own _all_  the time,” Adriel grumbled.

Humor threaded into Bonnie’s tone, “Well, Foxy’s not the most updated bot.”

Despite himself, Adriel found himself fighting a smile that began to twitch his lips. “You’re saying he’s not the brightest bulb in the bunch?”

Bonnie lifted a hand to capture his laugh, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Well, he’s certainly got a loose screw somewhere, don’t you think?”

“Definitely,” Adriel bit his lower lip as his face betrayed him and a smile spread onto his face. “There’s a messed up wire somewhere in that guy.”

“Freddy’s right,” Bonnie spoke wistfully, his eyes on Adriel. “You wear smiles very well.”

Swallowing the awkward in his throat, Adriel looked away and felt his smile drop. With a blush, he scratched his scars lightly. “Freddy says a lot of weird things. I’m not used to it. I’m not used to any of this, actually. I’ve never traveled around, or even had to hide my face. I’m not used to any of you, either. But you guys… you all seem comfortable with all of it.”

“Well…” Bonnie said thoughtfully. “We all had jobs before meeting you. We’re used to being surrounded by people, and being with them. Chica was sort of stay-at-home nurse for a few children, and I worked at a lot of different libraries and academies… anyways, I suppose what I am trying to say is that it’s a relief to be with a human again.”

Pausing, Adriel glanced up at Bonnie. “Kind of off topic, but… why do you and Foxy hate each other?”

Surprise lifted Bonnie’s face and he shook his head. “Hate? We don’t hate each other. I don’t really understand why we don’t get along, but… it isn’t hatred. I suppose… well… there are many reasons why Foxy could be angry with me.” Bonnie gave Adriel another sheepish look. “I’ve done quite a few things he isn’t happy with… but it’s not my place to tell you. It’s something you should ask Foxy, when… when he’s ready to tell you.”

“That’s ominous,” Adriel murmured, narrowing his eyes.

“I suppose it is,” Bonnie gave Adriel another soft smile before glancing ahead of them.

Well, Bonnie seemed to be giving Adriel a steady stream of info, ominous or not. Adriel opened his mouth and prodded, “Have you ever had a relationship before, Bonnie? You mentioned being around a lot of other people.”

A surprising blush colored Bonnie’s cheeks, and the Android cleared his throat, looking almost alarmed. “U-Uh… well… the easy answer to that is no…” His eyes flickered towards Adriel. “No… I mean… well-“ He pulled at his collar and watched the ground. “I had, I suppose, an _interest_  in someone a long time ago.”

Adriel felt his lips quirk with a smirk. Finally, one of these bags of bolts was shy about _something_. “Really? What were they like? How did you meet them?”

“S-She,” Bonnie rubbed the back of his head, eyes on the ground. “She… I didn’t necessarily meet her, Adriel. My love life is particularly pathetic. I mean, the most interaction we had back then was that she smiled at me.” A shrug lifted Bonnie’s shoulders and he looked at Adriel. “How about you?”

Payback. Adriel really should have expected this. His own cheeks tinged slightly, but sorrow swooped in quickly and wrapped its fingers around his throat. “Nothing… well, nothing worth talking about.” Time to backtrack. “I really like that about you guys.”

“Like what, exactly?” Bonnie’s blush had faded and he watched Adriel with curious eyes.

“You guys aren’t artificially perfect. Freddy can’t sing, Foxy is Foxy, and you’re shy when it comes to relationships.” Adriel lifted his shoulders into a small shrug and tried to read the look on Bonnie’s face.

“A lover of imperfection,” Bonnie noted with a soft smile. “I should have guessed when you mentioned the nature-take-over theory.”

“I guess,” Adriel looked at the sidewalk, thinking. “I kind of like to help people out. Maybe that's what attracts me.” His brows came together and sadness filled his eyes. He dropped his head so Bonnie couldn’t see it. “Maybe I invest too much in helping people.”

“Well,” Bonnie said gently. “Maybe you need to find someone who is willing to invest in you as much as you invest in them.”

With a nod, Adriel said, “Maybe.”

Maybe there was someone. And maybe there wasn’t. A sigh left Adriel. He was tired of looking. By now, he had already accepted that fact that he probably wouldn’t find someone and start a family. He didn’t mind being alone.

Right?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is going to begin to get a bit darker, so I'll put warnings before a chapter if it's going to be particularly gruesome.


	5. It's a Real Contest

Artificial lights cast all sorts of different colors into their quaint little room. Through cracked open eyelids, Adriel watched as the neon pinks, blues, and purples slowly faded away into the warm hue of the rising sun. The door to their safe room cracked open and a body shuffled into the room. Adriel craned his head up to see a familiar body waddle across the semi-darkness of the room and strip off a jacket. The body slid out of his shoes, while the blank odor of the room was quickly overtaken by the sharp smell of booze and smoke. “Kid,” Foxy grumbled quietly. “What the fuck are you doing awake?” Even in the low light of the room, Adriel could see the sparkles falling from Foxy onto the floor. Psh. Maybe it _was_ past his bedtime, but that didn’t mean it was Foxy’s place to reprimand him. Plus, before Foxy _rudely_ interrupted, Adriel had been beginning to fall asleep. Unable to summon his voice, Adriel pulled a hand out from under his blanket and flipped up his ring finger for Foxy. The Android flipped him two birds in response. “Alright, scoot over.” Foxy growled and walked over to Adriel, carefully stepping over charging Androids. With way too much ease, Foxy shoved Adriel up against the wall and peered down at the empty space he made. It was tiny.

A groan of protest left Adriel and he managed to get out, “Don’t you think there’s a reason Freddy isn’t on here with me?” The bed was smaller than average, and on the floor. While it fit Adriel comfortably, there was no way two bodies were fitting on this thing.

Foxy seemed to think otherwise. Ignoring Adriel’s moans and groans, he flopped onto the bed and forcibly made himself comfortable, squishing Adriel even more. Foxy ended up facing Adriel, on his side, with his head resting in his hand.

“Holy data chips, you stink so badly,” Adriel croaked, the overpowering smell of alcohol and all sorts of other things—sweat? Musk? Cat piss?—assaulted Adriel’s nose with a vengeance.

“ _That,_ Adriel, is the smell of victory,” Foxy murmured. “While these cheapskates are gettin’ jobs, I here made myself nearly two tonight.”

“Two what? Dollars?” Snorting, Adriel raised a brow at Foxy. He knew he didn’t look impressed. “By the way, remind me to never be victorious over anything.”

“Two _hundred,_ you idiot,” there probably was no other Android that could pull off a growl as well as Foxy could.

Adriel felt his stomach rip from his abdomen and leap out of the window. His mouth dropped open, despite him, and he found himself stammering, “Wh-What!? How?”

A lazy grin filled Foxy’s lips and he looked like a sly fox who just nabbed a juicy, fat chicken. “Never gamble against me, kid.”

Breath coming to a stop, Adriel frowned. “You cheated, didn’t you?”

Foxy lost his smile and rolled his eyes dramatically. “I know Bunny’ll say otherwise, but I am _not_ stupid. I didn’t attract attention. I won little, and moved on. That’s why I was gone so long.”

As the sun shifted, more light poured into the room and allowed Adriel to see Foxy more clearly, along with the oh so evident lipstick on his neck and collar. Feeling his brows rise, Adriel said, “Seems as if you were occupied with other things, too.”

Immediately, a shameless smirk quipped Foxy’s lips. “So I had a few lucky charms. Why? Jealous?” His eyes sparked mischievously.

Adriel faked a gag. “Definitely not.” He made a show of taking in Foxy’s face in distaste and glancing down with the same look. “You’re not my type.”

Unaffected, Foxy’s smirk turned into a grin. “Yeah? Why’s that?”

Ugh… Adriel didn’t want to talk about attraction. Their bodies were uncomfortably squished together, and even after all this time, the smell continued to slam into Adriel’s nose with abandon. “I don’t know. Being attracted to you… it’s… it would be like… being attracted to my father.” If they weren’t so close, with Adriel’s shoulder jammed into Foxy’s chest, he wouldn’t have caught it. There was a distinct hitch in Foxy’s breath. What was _that_ for? Narrowing his gaze, Adriel cautious parted his lips and hesitantly asked, “You’re not really… _attracted_ to me, are you?” If Foxy was, then… well, fiddle sticks.

“What.” Foxy’s face fought between a deadpan and a look of absolute disgust.

Adriel wondered if showing too much emotion—that is, emotion that doesn’t have to do with anger or leering—was like being constipated for Foxy.

“ _No._ ” the Android shook his head vehemently. “No. You have too much dick and too loss boob for me, kid. There was just something caught in my throat.”

Yeah. An _Android_ having something caught in his throat. That sounded likely. Rolling his eyes, Adriel tried to digest what conclusion his brain was trying to come to. Foxy was right. He was far more likely to be chasing after Chica than Adriel, but why did he react to Adriel not being attracted to him? Taking in a breath, Adriel said, “Something caught in your throat? Sure. Fine. _For now._ Just know that I’m here, waiting for you to stop trying to cover crap up.”

A growl left Foxy and he grabbed Adriel’s face with both hands, and he smooshed Adriel’s cheeks into a fish face. “Just get to sleep, kid.”

“You’re so frustrating,” Adriel murmured, but no doubt it came out more like “yewshofushtating”. He didn’t even bother frowning; it would just make him look even more ridiculous. “Just go clean up, or do whatever it is you-“ With an exasperated breath, Adriel yanked his head away from Foxy, narrowly stopping himself in time to not slam his head into the wall, and he snapped, “You _stink._ ”

With a quiet chuckle, Foxy messed up Adriel’s hair (not that it wasn’t already a bird’s nest) before rolling off the bed. A satisfied sigh left Adriel and he pulled his blanket over his head. He made a show of spreading out his arms and legs to take up the entire bed, murmuring about how comfy the bed was, _by himself,_ and how much better it smelt, _without someone else there._ The door swung open and clicked shut. After snickering to himself for a bit, Adriel eventually curled up. Soon thereafter, Adriel quickly fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

There was something about waking up squeezed between a wall and an Android. Whatever it was, Adriel couldn’t pinpoint it. Or maybe it had to do with the fact that Adriel had absolutely no recollection of getting squished against the wall with Foxy’s arms loosely around him, and his nose buried on the top of Adriel’s thick hair. Groaning, Adriel broke out of Foxy’s hold and began to test his slightly numb muscles. He reached above his head and pointed his toes, stretching as far as he could, until he flopped back down with a satisfied noise.

“Good afternoon, kid,” Foxy murmured.

As if Adriel were actually awake. It was too early for words. Adriel didn’t gave an unintelligible response and somehow made his way over Foxy. Amazingly, he managed to stand without falling on his behind. On sure feet, Adriel gave a magnificent yawn and then peered blearily around the room. Mild surprise flared up in Adriel’s chest. There was only one other Android: Freddy. “Mmph,” Adriel reached up to rub his eyes. If Freddy was the only one here, then why in the freak did Foxy squish onto his bed?

“Good afternoon, Adriel,” Freddy smiled brilliant, ever with the looks of a manufactured beauty. The brightness of his smile almost hurt Adriel’s eyes. “I take it that you slept well?” It was too early for Freddy’s beauty.

“Mmhmm…” Carefully, Adriel eased himself onto the ground and leaned back against Foxy and the bed. “Mm?” He made a vague gesture around the room.

“Bonnie and Chica went out to see if they could get more money,” said Freddy as he stretched a bit himself. He sat in the corner of their quaint room, his back against the wall with small piles of clothes around him. There were also a few folded piles among the wreckage. “And also to find some meals for you. I got some food somewhere around here. I would toss it to you, but…” a little smirk curled the corner of Freddy’s lips, “I think your cognitive abilities are a bit down right now.”

“Mm…” nodding in agreement, Adriel closed his eyes and let his head hand back. He heard Freddy shuffling around, but didn’t care to look. It always seemed that with the more sleep he got, the more he was like an old computer trying to boot up. Another yawn took over his lips, and Adriel was too lazy to even attempt to cover it up.

“Yuck,” Foxy murmured. “Get some mouthwash for that breath. Or maybe something to decontaminate it.”

“Hmmph,” Adriel turned enough so that he could rest his arms on top of Foxy, and he laid his head in his arms. “Stinky breaths is one of my many talents…” He murmured, wondering if he would just be even more tired later if he fell back asleep.

“Talents?” Foxy snorted. Unattractively, might Adriel add. “Do you actually _have_ any talents?”

Harsh. With a bleary look, Adriel pulled away to look Foxy dead in the eye. “I might not have many talents, but I have quite a few useful ones.”

“Like what?” Foxy quirked a brow, clearly not buying any of it.

A smirk twitched Adriel’s lips and almost turned into a grin. Adriel barely managed to control it when he said, “Kissing.”

Interest filled Foxy’s face and his brows rose. “ _Kissing?_ Are you so sure about that?”

“I am _very_ sure about that,” Adriel practically purred as he turned to see that Freddy was now standing, looking over at them with a few folded clothes in hand. There was a spark in Freddy’s eyes, and also a small smug smile of his own. “Bet I’m even better than all you rusty robots,” Adriel teased. Cheese, it was so hard not to grin.

The smug smile curled into a smirk when Freddy said, “Do you want to test me?”

“Stop flirting with baby Adriel,” Foxy turned to wrap Adriel protectively in his arms, resting his head against Adriel’s. “But I suppose the only way to testify Adriel’s talent is to have a contest, and we all know I would rather swallow my tongue than kiss this idiot.”

“A kissing contest?” Freddy set aside the clothes and seemed to consider it. “Sounds interesting. But, it won’t be fair for poor Adriel, seeing as I am the one _programmed_ with the best kissing techniques.”

“Kissing isn’t _just_ something that can be programmed, Freddy.” Adriel rolled his eyes. “It takes more than a few codes to capture the true essence of a kiss.”

“And the crowd’s anticipation grows,” murmured Foxy. “Alright, get up and get it on you two-“ He paused and his face screwed up. “I never thought I would say that. Anyways, I suppose I will act as judge—or referee or something.”

Adriel couldn’t fight his grin anymore. It broke onto his face and took control of his lips. As he stood, tendrils of anxiety hung off of him. Even as he moved towards Freddy, he couldn’t shake them off. And he couldn’t look up at Freddy. He wouldn’t be able to take the way Freddy’s face lit up, like it always does when he smiles. When Adriel found himself in front of Freddy, he forced himself to look up at the Android. Just as he guessed, Freddy’s entire face lit up and the smile on his lips was bright. “Are we really going to do this?” Adriel raised a brow.

His stupid grin had only softened a bit, and his cheeks began to hurt because of it.

“If you want,” Freddy searched Adriel’s eyes and laughed softly, “How do you want to start this?”

“I guess we just kiss.” Holy nuclear reaction, why did Adriel feel so nervous? It wasn’t has if he _hadn’t_ kissed a guy before. Maybe it’s just been a while. Adriel had to push himself up onto his tip-toes and crane his neck just to get into reasonable kissing distance with Freddy. Okay, they were pretty close now. It was just a kiss. Just a kiss. The space between them was becoming minimal. Anxiety kicked up the pace of Adriel’s heart, and he took in a small breath. What would Freddy taste like? Would he taste artificial? Would it be some weird flavor? _‘What kind of Android do you want? This one has strawberry tasting saliva!’_ Adriel had to hold in a giggle. Wait. _Taste._

“ _Dingus berries!_ ” Adriel spring away, slapping a hand over his mouth. “Hold on, Teddy. We have to go for the entire experience, okay?” Adriel quickly jogged over to his bag and searched through it. “I’ll brush my teeth.” Because Foxy was right. His breath could kill a few small animals.

Behind him, Freddy laughed. “I suppose I can freshen up for you, too.”

One day, Adriel is going to ask how they “freshen up”. Is it normal? Do they scrub themselves down like someone would clean up a kitchen counter? With a long breath, Adriel took his toothpaste and toothbrush out of his bag and then made his way towards the public bathroom of the safe house. Not without Freddy on his heels, of course.

After “freshening up”, Adriel found himself back in the room with a nice minty breath and somewhat fixed hair. There really was no fixing of Adriel’s hair. Foxy was sitting up, lounging on the bed. “Are you two done stalling yet? We don’t really have all day.”

Adriel shot him a dangerous look before glancing over at Freddy. The two of them had not said a single word since they left the room. A loose grin filled Freddy’s lips as soon as he caught Adriel’s eyes. Clearing his throat, Adriel perked a brow and said, “Alright, ready for this?”

Freddy blew him a kiss. The two reached the middle of the room once again, standing toe-to-toe. This time, Freddy initiated the start of the kiss. He leaned down and gently wrapped his arms around Adriel, pulling him closer. Adriel felt his heart rate pick up, and a sharp breath cut through his minty mouth. His eyes danced between Freddy’s lips and his eyes. Freddy’s hands slid up Adriel’s back. One hand made its way to Adriel’s jaw, and the other pressed against his lower back. Slowly, Adriel leaned his head back, slightly turned his head, and parted his lips. Right when his eyes were beginning to close, Freddy’s arms dropped and the Android practically twirled away from him, laughing nervously. “It’s been such a long time since I’ve felt nervous!” Freddy gave Adriel a cheerful grin, a surprising red tinge in his cheeks. “Adriel, you’re making me feel so nervous. It’s such a weird feeling…”

“ _How?_ ” Adriel’s brows rose. Freddy? _Nervous?_ That made as much sense as Foxy being _kind._ “You’re the Android here! I thought you were ‘programmed to kiss the best,’ hm?”

With a nervous chuckle, Freddy buried his head into his hands. “I don’t _know_. Maybe it’s because you’re so serious!” After acting ( _not_ adorably) shy for a few moments, Freddy finally stood up straight and gave a determined nod. “Alright, I’m ready.”

“It’s just a fucking kiss,” Foxy groaned.

“Shut up, Foxy,” Adriel growled.

Third time’s a charm. Maybe. Once again, he found himself toe-to-toe with Freddy. All of his previous anxiety seemed to build on top of each other like building blocks. Freddy took in a small breath, “Your heart rate is increasing. Mine is too.”

Distracted, Adriel murmured, “You have a heart?” He shuffled closer. His hands slid up and took hold of Freddy’s head. The Anroid’s skin felt warm, and a faint smell of cologne and fabric detergent tickled Adriel’s senses.

With a light smile, Freddy dipped his head down, closer to Adriel. Their noses were nearly brushing. “Yes,” he said, his breath coming out a tad bit faster than usual. “I would love to explain what the function of it does, but I can’t bring myself to ruin to the moment.”

“Is this a moment?” Adriel whispered, slowly pushing himself up onto his tip-toes. In the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but feel a little wound in his pride for behind so small. In the deepest part of his mind, he couldn’t help but love the way Freddy could wrap him up and hold him. Freddy’s hands clasped either side of his hips and he felt himself lose his sight for a few moments. The spell broke when Freddy took in a small breath, stealing the air right out Adriel’s lips.

“Well, isn’t it?”

Tilting his head, Adriel pushed himself closer to Freddy, his fingers dipping into Freddy’s soft, brown hair. Those warm brown eyes searched Adriel’s own. Holy Cheez Its. Adriel _wanted_ to kiss Freddy. He _wanted_ to find out what he tasted like. Where had this come from? Where-

Freddy’s breath brushed Adriel’s lips and it hit somewhere south. His knees quivered ever so slightly. They were going to do it. They were going to kiss. It was just a contest, wasn’t it? Adriel _was_ a good kisser. No one could take that title away from him. Bolts, he could lose himself so easily in this. Had he been this nervous to kiss-

No. He isn’t going to think about her. Not now. Closing his eyes, Adriel moved to capture Freddy’s lips, to steal _his_ breath, to make _him_ weak in the knees.

The door swung open and Chica sang, “We’re back!”

Freddy broke away from Adriel so fast that he blurred. The next few moments erupted into confusion, laughter, and hidden disappointment from Adriel. But mostly relief. At least, that’s what he told himself. Freddy did all the laughing for the two of them, giving Adriel quick glances before returning his attention to Chica. “Welcome back!”

Not trusting his ability to stand, Adriel walked back to his bed with as much dignity as he could muster. Chica’s voice exclaimed, “What were you doing? What did we miss?”

“You didn’t miss anything,” Foxy snapped. “You interrupted a kissing contest. It took so long for those two to build up their nerves! I was looking forward to laughing in Freddy’s face!”

Huh. Seems as if Foxy had confidence in Adriel’s kissing techniques. The thought of it caused the tention in his chest to ease. “Kissing contest?” Bonnie cut in with a raised brow. He stepped into the room with a few bags on his arm. With a careful hand, Bonnie closed the door.

“Laughing in _my_ face?” Freddy pouted. “Do none of you have faith in my kissing talents?”

Was the room spinning, or was that just Adriel’s head? Their banter fell into background noise. Bonnie handed him food, and Adriel ate it mindlessly. He didn’t even taste it. He had wanted Freddy to kiss him.

He _wanted_ Freddy to kiss him.

Trying to slow his heart rate, Adriel took in slow and calming breaths. They were Androids. He was human. It was a good thing they didn’t kiss, because… what would happen after that? Maybe Freddy was just his fall-back. Everyone had someone they fell back on after a relationship didn’t work out. It’s just a silly little desire that he will be laughing at in a few years. If he lived till then. Maybe he was lonely. It’s been a while since he’s held someone and chased after their heart.

“Adriel?”

Glancing up, Adriel’s eyes locked onto Freddy. “Mm?” The food in his mouth made it hard to make any noise other than grunting.

“You’re okay with putting the contest off on hold, right?” Freddy gave him a warm and easy smile.

It warmed the bottom of Adriel’s stomach. “Mmhmm,” he nodded, and he hoped he didn’t look too eager. The tension melted from Freddy—since when was he tense?—just like that. Soon the Androids were poking fun at another, and eventually it ended with Bonnie lecturing Foxy on his gambling habits.

Foxy mocked him the entire time.

 

* * *

 

“Why did I leave my jacket in my pack?” Adriel asked, his teeth close to chattering. “Oh, _yeah._ Because it was _forty-three degrees_ today.”

A hum of amusement sounded from Freddy, who stood beside him. “About negative a degree right now,” Freddy hummed cheerfully beside Adriel, not affected by the cold. At all. “Do you remember calculations for Celsius to Fahrenheit?”

Adriel glanced at Freddy with an almost irritated look. Usually Bonnie was the one quizzing him with calculations, history facts, and so on. Oh, maybe Freddy was trying to distract him from the cold. “I don’t know why we had to learn it,” Adriel murmured, searching his mind for calculations. “No one uses Fahrenheit anymore.” Pursing his lips, Adriel began the arduous task of making calculations in his head. After a few minutes ticked by, Adriel looked up at Freddy and said, slightly uncertain, “Negative one degree is about thirty degrees Fahrenheit, right?”

“Right,” Freddy flashed Adriel a bright smile, almost as bright as the neon lights all around them. “And how about the forty-eight conversion?”

Groaning, Adriel shook his head. “I dunno. Over a hundred in Fahrenheight.” He jammed his hands into his armpits, in hopes of warming himself up. It had been four days since the failed “kissing contest”. Out of the blue, earlier today, the Androids began packing and told Adriel that they were going to get a move on. They split up and agreed to rendezvous in front of this old hotel. That had been about six hours ago. The temperature was unfair. _Freddy_ was unfair. During the day, Adriel had been sweating like a kid on his first date, and now he was freezing his jingle bells off. And Freddy, that stupid Android, stood as if wearing a t-shirt was perfectly warm enough in negative degree weather. And, not to mention, he hadn't sweated a single drop.

“About a hundred and nine,” Freddy murmured, distracted. “Do you know why it’s so cold?”

Adriel’s eyes zoned in on the sidewalks. The moon’s light couldn’t contend with the neon lights that came from the bright signs that took over every building. Groups of people meandered up and down the street, laughing with drunken glee. There had been one time Adriel got drunk, and needless to say, it was better for the world (and its population count) if Adriel never got drunk again. “Something to do with the ozone layer and pollution. The warmer a city is during the day, the colder it is at night.” Imagine deserts. Adriel shivered at the idea.

“Adriel,” Freddy turned and grabbed Adriel’s shoulders, forcing him to stand so that Freddy blocked his view of the street. Intensity filled Freddy’s warm eyes, causing Adriel’s heart to spur and twist. His hands were so warm... “Adriel-“

“What is it?” Adriel stared into Freddy’s eyes. Was it something he said? Freddy took a step forward, and Adriel took a step back. They did this, until Adriel was pressed against the cool brick of the hotel. “Freddy, what’s going on?”

“Adriel,” the softness of Freddy’s voice lit a match inside Adriel. Freddy was trying to soothe him. Or distract him? Reaching up, Freddy gently held Adriel’s head in his hand. His other hand went to dive into Adriel’s thick hair. Nuts and bolts, Freddy was so warm. “Can you do me a favor?” Freddy’s voice was so soft it was verging on husky.

That voice hit Adriel in places that Adriel couldn't say out loud without blushing. Taking in a small breath, Adriel nodded, dumbly.

A smile curved Freddy’s lips, the intensity of his brown eyes bearing into Adriel. Was it possible for a single look to warm someone from their toes to their head?

“Kiss me?”

Adriel did.


End file.
